Race-game apparatus.



H. COOLEY.

RAGE GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.30,1913.

1,125,818,, Patented Jan.19,1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET L THE NORRIS PEIERS 09.. PHOTO-LITHQ. WASHINGTON. D. c.

H. UOOLEY.

"RACE GAME APPARATUS APPLICATION FILED JAN. so, 1913.

- Patented J an. 19, 1915.

2 SHEETS-$133111 2.

INJ/EIVTOF wraiw W0 05s THE NORRIS PETERS (20., PHOTO-LITHQ. WASHINGTOND c,

HORATIO COOLEY, 0F WALTHAMSTOW, ENGLAND.

P RACE-GAME APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 19, 1915.

Application filed. January 30, 1913. Serial No. 745,240.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HORATIO CooLEY, civilengineer, subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at 4:3Pendlestone road, WValthamstow, Essex, England, have invented certainnew and useful Improved Race-Game Apparatus, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to toy race games and the like, in which one ormore horses or other figures are represented.

The object of this invention is to employ a method of imparting acontinuous circular movement to figures or animals or the like generallyused in race and like games by means of actuated tilting or inclineplanes and radially moving arms to which the said figures are fixed.

The further object of the invention is to furnish each of the said armswith a runner arranged to travel over the said tilting or inclined planeand capable of adapting itself to the varying degrees of inclinationthereof as the plane is tilted so as to cause the figure or object tomove at a speed dependent upon the skill and dexterity with which theinclined plane is manipulated to maintain the said continuous circularmovement.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown one practical form of myinvention which will now be described in greater detail with referencethereto although it will be understood that my invention is susceptibleof change or modification in various ways. within the ambit of thesubjoined claims.

Figure 1 is an elevation with the side of the box removed to reveal theinterior of my improved race game. Fig. 2 is a plan. Fig. 3 is a detailview showing the method of carrying the figure so as to permit oflateral movement of the figure as it moves forward along the track.Figs. 4 and 5 are side and front elevations of a further modified formof my invention provided with mechanical means by which a horse attachedto each radial arm may be caused to jump a hurdle or other obstacle onthe track. Fig. 6 is a section through the supporting casing of thedevice showing a modified form of operating mechanism for tilting thecircular planes.

Referring to the drawings, a a are the radially moving arms which asshown are bracket-like in shape bent to revolve on the central uprighttube or rod 6. These arms are extended horizontally as shown when theyare upwardly bent at right angles so as to bring their ends above thecasing 0. To these ends are fitted any suitable figure or object.

Suspended from the revolving radial arms a a are the swinging carriers d03 carrying small rollers or wheels 6 e which travel upon theirrespective tilting circular planes 7 f when the latter are actuated inthe manner hereinafter described. The swinging carriers with theirrollers or wheels 6 e are attached to the revolving arms at the desiredangle by bending the bracket ends of the arms and passing the endsthrough holes made in the carriers for the purpose as shown in Fig. 2 torevolve in a given radius.

Carried at convenient heights and having their centers coincident withthe center of the upright rod 6, are the rings or circular planes 7 f.

The ring f is shown attached to the upright by the socketed arms 9 g andis represented tilted in Fig. 1. The ring 7 is at tached to the bottomof the casing by the brackets k h and is shown in a horizontal position.

The socket g in addition to carrying the arms 9 9 also provides a basefor carrying the revolving arm a.

The revolving arm a is shown carried by the socket screwed on to thebottom of the box at the center. Into this socket also is firmly screwedthe upright rod 6.

Attached to the ring f by means of small :hanging rings la is are thelevers Z Z; the lower end of each lever is bored with a hole throughwhich a screw passes into the socket j, thus forming a fulcrum.

It will be seen from a perusal of the drawings that the socketed arms 9g are carried both ways through the ring 7"; at one end is shown thebracket m; this bracket is firmly screwed to the ring and the arm 9extends through and beyond m also. Threaded on the ends of the arms 9 gare the rods 41. at. These rods are carried upward through the top andhave their upper ends attached to the arches p p. The arches p p arethemselves bolted firmly to the casing 0. As will be seen the rods 1 ngive a considerable amount of support to the ring 7.

Attached to the bracket m at equidistance from the arm g are two uprightbent over levers r'r. These'levers are,supp'orted up right by passingthem through holes in the ends of an arm 1" which isfirmlyheldhori:zontal by fixing it to the adjacent upright n, and the holes at each endof r are made sufliciently large to permit of the free vertical movementof the levers r 7'.

Midway and vertically below the levers r 1" is fixed to the bottom'ofthe casing thebracket 25 carrying a stud t to which is pivotedhorizontally a bar a shown in dotted lines in plan and to each end ofthisbar are connected respectively the lowerends ofthe connecting rods.

The object of the upright levers r isto enable an operator to impartmovement to the upper ring or plane f from the lower part of the box andto do thisit isnecessary that the power should be transmitted over thetop of the outside revolving figure as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2.

The revolving arm a isshown fitted with the carriers cl at whoseextremities the rollers or wheels 6 bear upon the upper circunrferential edge of the lower ring or plane f, attached to the'latter bymeans of small pendent rings 7c is are the levers [I which are fulcrumedupon a screw passed through the socket j.

Fig. 2 shows two clockwork registers '0' e which are actuated by thearms a which lie along the track of the revolving arms or the objectscarriedthereb'y in such a position as'to be struck thereby so astobeswung upon their center pins andtobereturned by a spring. The arms eachcarry'a pivoted catch which operates a ratchet wheel'to: the extent ofone or more teeth for eaoh'revolu tion of the respective radial arms; Ascrew cap as with the screw plate 00 aredntendd to clamp firmly thediskportion ofthe casing to the center rod 6.

w w are wire stays fitted'to the center rod 6 passed at a convenientdistance under the top plane or ring fbrough'tupward'and"secured in a'convenient mannertothe' arches pp. These stayslimit the movement of'theplane 7 and prevent it tiltingbeyond the length of the carriers and"so-prev'ent the wheel 6 leaving the track.

The'arrow shows the direction of'move ment of the figures. The drawingsshow provision for two figures for whichtwoconcentric grooves in the topare provided.

Access to the-levers 'Z andu is obtained through holes in the-side-ofthe casingconveniently large therefor.

Method of worloingL--The object of the competitors is to cause thefigures or objects fixed to the ends of the-radially movingarrns a a tomove around the course with the highest speed or number of revolutionsand so win the game; To-do' this onecompetitor imparts a rockingmovement tothe'bar u which has the effect of alternately tilting-theupper plane 7" While" anothert competitor gives an alternate depressionof the levers Z Z to. impartia corresponding movement to the plane f" towhich they are connected. To obtain. a continuous forward movement ofthe figure the competitor must so manipulate his levers that the rolleris caused to continuously descend the downward inclines and increasing'speed can only be obtained by judging the right moment when to alter thetilt ofthe plane or ring; that is, the roller shouldbe broughtdown theincline with as greatanimpetus-as possible, and the tilt ofthe planeshould be altered only at the moment when" it offers'the leastresistance to the onward movement of the roller: It will be understood,themovement of the roller varies-with the movement of the lever, and 3also that movement ceases by working the levers either too fast or tooslow.

The great advantage obtained by thissystem of similar ringsor planes asregards racing is that the inside horse has no advantage respectingdistance over the outside one; thatis, the race is equivalent to beingrun-on a straightv course, since each horse depends upon the runnerpropelling it, andas-the'rollers revolve on equal circles consequently"they traverse equal distances for each round.

As a modification to the previous description of the improvement,instead'of carrying' the figure rigidly on the'end of upright portionofthe revolvingarm,;the end may bebent over and'th'e figurecarried on apivoted rodas shown" at A A Fig; 3. The figure shows a diagram sketch inwhich A is the endof the revolving arm and A a rodbentaround'itto for-maswivel or pivot, and F represents-the figure; the upper end of the rod Acarrying the figure F, and the lower" end of" the counterbalance orweight W.

Tomaintain anupright position of'the figure when stationary it isnecessary that Ehe weight Wbe-- greater than that of the gum.

If an" arrangement similar to Fig. 3 be attached-"to'the endoftherevolving arm a Fig: 1 and-movement setupait follows that the rodcarrying the figure is inclined "from the vertical line X 'Yand assumesthe position shown in Fig. 3, more or less, according to the speedobtained. The object of obtainingthis movement, is that if a figurerepresenting "alancer' with a lance pointed forward is fixed at F, itwould incline in wardmoreand more as the speed inereased. 0n theinnerside somewhere above the track, a small". light ring, is suspended insuch a position that as the figure moves slowly the pointend-"of' thelance just passes the ring, K but if q'ui'clfly"the2 lance would betilted sotha t its point would enter the ring and take it from itssupport. Again, a horse may be represented as jumping an obstacle suchas a hurdle in the track. To do this the end of the rod a (Fig. 1) isturned down as at A (Figs. 4 and 5) and loosely fitted to it so as toform a swivel, is the bent rod A At the lower end of A is carried alittle runner R, at A is the swivel, and the figure is carried at thehigher end H. The bent arm A extends sufficiently upward to carry thefigure above the groove in the top of the casing.

Fixed at any convenient point on the line of circle described by therunner R is an inclined plane P P. As the figure at H revolves therunner R comes in contact with the inclined plane P P and consequentlyis drawn up it; the position then is shown by the dotted lines in thediagram. Fixed on the lower arm of A is a bent stay N. This comes incontact with the downright portion of the revolving rod and so keeps theupper arm of A horizontal when the roller R is freed from the inclinedplane 1?.

It is necessary that the rise of the inclined plane P should be greaterthan the height of the obstacle over which the figure has to pass.

To prevent an operator accidentally interfering with his opponentsfigure if at any time it is found necessary to touch the figure forre-starting, a lever may be attached at any convenient part of therevolving arm.

As shown in Fig. 6 the planes 7 may be pivoted or hinged at one point ofthe circumference as indicated at 9 A handle 23 is provided upon theopposite side of the plane 7" for the purpose of elevating or depressingthe plane as desired.

What I do claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentis 1. A game of the character described comprising planes, arms carryingsupports that engage the planes, and means for tilting the planes toimpart rotary movement to the arms.

2. A game of the character described COIII- prising tiltable planes,radially movable arms having depending carriers provided with rollersthat engage the planes, figures carried by the arms, and means fortilting the planes to rotate the arms.

3. The combination in a race game as specified of tilting or inclinedplanes, means for actuating the said planes, radially moving armscarrying figures or objects, and swinging carriers suspended therefromand adapted to impart a continuous circular movement to the said armswhen the said planes are respectively tilted or inclined substantiallyas described.

4:. A game of the character described comprising ashaft, tiltable planessurrounding the same, radial arms loosely carried by the shaft andprovided with figures, carriers depending from the arms and havingrollers that travel on the planes, and means for tilting the planes tocause the carriers to rotate the arms.

In witness whereof, I have signed this specification in presence of twowitnesses.

HORATIO OOOLEY.

VVitnesses GEORGE PRINGLE, G. HUGHES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

